Education

Seminole County Schools (K-12)

Longwood Schools are part of the Seminole County Public Schools which are renowned for excellence. They rank 5th out of 68 Florida school districts. MONEY magazine identified Seminole County schools as one of the top 100 school districts in the nation in terms of offering high quality education in a moderately priced community. The school district has been recognized every year since 1992 for being in the top 10% of the nation's 15,600 school districts as meeting the needs of families choosing schools. Seminole County had 94% of their schools rated A or B schools with 80% earning an A.

For the second consecutive year Newsweek recognized all Seminole County High Schools in the top 3% in the nation based on the number of students enrolled in advanced placement or international baccalaureate classes. Orlando Business Journal ranked all SCPS high schools among the top 25 in Central Florida.

The National School Boards Association and the Center for Digital Education recently released survey results which focused on School Boards’ use of technology. The survey looked at online presence, technology application allowing the public to interact with school board members, and access to information such as school board calendars, policies, and agendas. The School Board of Seminole County, Florida ranked number 10 nationally, first in Florida! In addition, here are some other Seminole County Public Schools (SCPS) points of pride:

The graduation rate for 2017-2018 was 91.3%, which is 9% above the state average of 86.1%

2016 SAT scores exceeded the state and national average for the 39th consecutive year.

SCPS ranked #1 in the state in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math).

SCPS is one of the top districts in the state in Calculus & Physics enrollment.

SCPS has been awarded a $1 Million Re-think Award by QX: The Super School Project to help fund its problem solving high school concept PSI High (SCPS was the only district in Florida to receive an award).

SCPS has been named the 1st Full Immersion Computer Science Lighthouse District in Florida by Code to the Future.

The region has an abundance of both parochial and non-denominational, top-rated choices. During the 2011-2012 school year, 10.3 percent of K-12 students in the Orlando region attended private school.

College preparatory curriculum at private high schools In the region is notable for high graduation rates, challenging AP coursework, a high number of National Merit semi-finalists and graduates who matriculate to many of the most prestigious universities in the nation.

The Catholic Diocese of Orlando has a total of 15 schools in the region. Over two-thirds of those school have earned the U.S. Department of Education’s prestigious Blue Ribbon School Award.

Excellent private schools also serve students with special needs, as well as those with special interests, such as art, acting and technology.

Other Public School Options

Career Academies

A career academy is a small, personalized learning community within the high school setting in which students learn both academic and technical curricula within the context of an industry or career area. The academy gives high school students an opportunity to learn about and prepare for college careers and to interact in a meaningful way with the local business community. Local school boards work closely with the National Academy Foundation to ensure that curriculum address the needs of our region's local tech companies and that access to the program is available to qualified students from throughout the district.

Academies of Information Technology

To address the national need for increased emphasis on integrating technology into K-12 curriculum, the National Academy Foundation has established a rigorous network of Academy of Information Technology (AoIT) programs in our nation's high schools. In Orange County, the AoITs operate as schools-within-schools and are at the following high schools: Apopka, Boone, Colonial, Cypress Creek, Timber Creek, University and Winter Park. Seminole County runs its single AoIT, Crooms Academy of Information Technology, as a magnet school for the entire district.

Academy of Health Careers at Seminole High School

The Academy of Health Careers is a magnet program within Seminole High School, so students are able to experience a traditional, comprehensive high school experience while taking specialized courses linked to health care issues and content that reinforces the students’ interest and learning.

At the Academy, students have access to an award-winning faculty with health care experience and credentials. Through an affiliation with more than 50 local business partners, the Academy is also able to offer hands-on, “real-world” learning opportunities, both in the on-site, state-of-the-art labs and in medical facilities throughout Central Florida.

Students are offered Advanced Placement and dual enrollment courses, as well as honor and regular level courses. Students also have the opportunity to earn state certification and Florida Bright Futures Scholarships through the Academy’s prescribed curriculum.

Academies of Construction Technology

The Academy of Construction Technologies (ACT), a partnership between the Seminole County School Board and Central Florida construction industry contractors and trade associations, was instituted to develop a well-trained workforce in the construction industry by integrating academics and a paid work-site experience - offering students the opportunity to begin a rewarding career while in high school.

Charter Schools

Charter Schools are public schools of choice. They are largely free to innovate, and often provide more effective programs and choice to diverse groups of students.

Since 1996, the number of charter schools in Florida has grown to over 570 in 44 Florida districts for the 2012-13. Charter school student enrollment has grown well over 203,000 students.

Florida Public Virtual Schools

Orlando is also home to Florida Virtual School (FLVS), the only statewide virtual school with Florida-certified teachers. Founded in 1997 as the country's first statewide public high school, FLVS is an established leader in developing and providing virtual Kindergarten - Grade 12 education solutions to students all over Florida, the U.S. and around the world. Courses are designed for flexibility and to serve the needs of all achievement levels, ranging from Advanced Placement coursework to self-paced, personalized instruction for students needing supplemental courses or credit recovery.

As a nationally recognized e-Learning model and recipient of numerous awards, FLVS has been recognized by the Software and Information Industry Association for programming in two areas: Best Reading/English Instructional and Best Social Studies Instruction. Both awards were for the school’s new game-based suite of courses, Conspiracy Code, which was developed in conjunction with another local Orlando company, 360Ed. In addition, FLVS has received the Gold Award for Learning Impact from the IMS Global Learning Consortium, the 2010 Best Practices in Distance Learning Programming Award from the United States Distance Learning Association, and has been recognized for its partnership with several leading Florida universities to provide pre-service training and internship opportunities in online teaching.